HUB · TIER 1 · UPDATED AUGUST 2026
Fort Lauderdale for green yacht crew: when to arrive and who hires
- Best window
- September to November
- Passport
- US visa in your passport first
- Daywork rate
- USD 150 to 200 a day
- Nearest hubs
- Newport, St Maarten
Fort Lauderdale
United States, Florida
Best windowSeptember to November
PassportUS visa in your passport first
Hub pageChapter 06Newport
United States, Rhode Island
Best windowMay to October
PassportUS visa in your passport first
Hub pageChapter 06Antibes
France
Best windowMarch to May
PassportSchengen visa or exemption
Hub pageChapter 06Palma
Spain, Mallorca
Best windowMarch to May
PassportSchengen visa or exemption
Hub pageChapter 06
Second tier: St Maarten, Antigua, Viareggio, Auckland, Sydney, Dubai, San Diego. Cape Town for cheaper certificates.
Crew houses here cluster in a tight pocket around SE 17th Street. Harbordale and SE 21st Street hold Crew Castle and The Neptune Group. Croissant Park, a mile west, holds Lauderdale Crew House. SE 12th and 16th Street hold Mary's Crew House and the two now closed hostels. All of it is minutes from Lauderdale Marine Center, the 17th Street marinas and the schools at MPT and PYT. A smaller cluster of furnished rentals marketed at crew sits south in Dania Beach and Hollywood.
September to November is the squeeze
FLIBS runs 28 October to 1 November 2026, and SeaPark's own policy states it plainly: no discounts for two weeks either side of the show, because every bunk fills with crew hunting a boat before it opens. Book weeks ahead, expect full rate, and expect a deposit. SeaPark's is USD 215 in cash with 48 hours notice to leave.
The visa is the whole game here
Crew houses ask about your visa because immigration does. Fort Lauderdale is the easiest US entry point for foreign crew, because the border officers here see the B1/B2 constantly. It does not authorise shore work, only work aboard a foreign flagged vessel. Turning up without a plan for that visa is the most common thing that goes wrong for new crew in this town.
Where crew stay
10 places in Fort Lauderdale take crew, from USD 210 a week at Lauderdale Crew House. Rates, deposits and what to avoid, checked 2026-08-19.
Who hires here
AgenciesBluewater, Luxury Yacht Group, Crewfinders International, Northrop and Johnson, Blue Oceans Yachting, formerly Crew Unlimited. Register with every one in your hub, then go and stand in front of them.
Job boardsYotspot, DayWork123.
Straight answers
When should I arrive in Fort Lauderdale?
Early September. The hub peaks September to November as boats crew up for the Caribbean run, and FLIBS on 28 October to 1 November 2026 is the busiest fortnight of the year.
What does a crew house cost in Fort Lauderdale?
A shared bunk runs USD 200 to 260 a week. A private room with a shared bathroom runs USD 330 to 360 a week, and a private room or a couple's queen with its own bathroom runs USD 360 to 460. Full private houses for groups run USD 1,450 to 3,250 a week.
Do I need a visa to work in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. Non US crew need a B1/B2 visa to work aboard a yacht in US waters, and that includes daywork, paid or unpaid. It does not authorise shore work. Turning up without a plan for that visa is the most common thing that goes wrong here.